"Thank you for your interest [in the] Institute. A thorough review of your credentials has been completed including an interview. At this time, we feel we must continue to look for a candidate whose background and experience more closely match our requirements for the position.

We are sorry you were not selected for the position and wish you success in pursuit of your career goals."

Success in career goals my ass. I don't really have any at this point, thanks to this process. I almost don't care what I do anymore. I feel like if I've stooped to actually trying to get a position selling shoes and fucking FAILING at that, I really have no right to hope or deserve for anything better. I feel like having a degree is useless. I'm either over or under qualified for everything and wind up getting nothing.

I can understand not being precisely aligned with "requirements," but I still I have one basic question that nobody's been able to answer:

HOW THE BLOODY HELL DO I GET NEW EXPERIENCES IF NO ONE IS WILLING TO LET ME!?

How the hell do you "expand" your "skillset" if there are no goddamn "opportunities" for you?

I'm going to go and bawl and hopefully be over it by Monday so I can go throw myself at people again.

The job market seems to be ridiculously ridiculous in every country. I'm still looking for a job in Germany, along with my husband. My first interview went surprisingly well ... until she asked me if I had a job already. I said I was currently unemployed. She practically kicked me out in her rush to get rid of me. I was unable to get a job because I have no job. I do not enjoy the irony of this.

Sometimes wish they'd just say, "No you're not what we're looking for," instead of pretty placating words about experience, but it's even more fun when you're "overqualified". Now that's a jolly kick in the gut.